Gaming apparatus having a configurable control panel

ABSTRACT

A gaming apparatus for facilitating game play. The gaming apparatus may include a value input device, a display unit, and a player control panel. The player control panel may include a curved surface centered around at least one axis. The gaming apparatus also may include a touch screen, the touch screen conforming to the curved surface of the player control panel. A value input may be received from a player via the value input device, and the display unit may be caused to display a game display. One of a plurality of player input displays may be selected and display the selected one of the plurality of player input displays. Player input data associated with the selected one of the plurality of player input displays may be received via the touch screen, and a value payout associated with an outcome of the game may be determined.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/955,679, filed on Sep. 30, 2004, which is acontinuation In part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/662,755, filed onSep. 15, 2003, entitled “Gaming Apparatus Having a Configurable ControlPanel,” and now U.S. Pat. No. 7,775,881, each of which is herebyincorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure generally relates to gaming apparatus, and moreparticularly to gaming apparatus having a configurable control panel.

Gaming units, like many controllable devices, often need to provide thecapability for receiving different types of user input such as selectingamong different choices at a given stage of a game and/or presentingvarious different sets of choices, for user selection, depending onwhich of multiple stages of a game have been reached. For example, manygaming units are configured to provide a main game component and a“bonus” game component in which the bonus component is not necessarilyplayed as a part of each “round” of the main gaming component, e.g., inwhich the bonus game is only played in response to one or morepredetermined outcomes of the main game component. In many situations,the bonus game involves user activation of user input or controls forfunctions which are different from functions which appear in the maingame component.

Some previous approaches to design of gaming units involved including aplurality of different mechanical switches which may be activatable orusable at different times during the stage of a game. A “mechanical”switch may be a switch which is activated by touching or pressing aswitch activation surface, which may cause the switch activation surfaceto move. As used herein, a mechanical switch, however, does not includea touch screen device in which touches of a region of, for example, adisplay device are detected. The variety of different types of userinputs which are typically provided in games designed to maintain userinterest and entertainment has meant that a relatively large number ofsuch mechanical switches have been provided in previous designs. In somedevices, a single mechanical switch is used for two or more functionswith each of the two or more functions being displayed on the buttonactivation surface.

In these conventional gaming units, the switches or buttons aretypically located on a lower section of a gaming unit, while the displayunit is spaced vertically above the buttons. Consequently, the playermust frequently look up and down during game play. Such repetitivemotions are a strain to the player's head, neck, and eyes, particularlyfor players wearing bi-focal lenses. Additionally, the player's handmust still repeatedly raise and lower to access various control buttonsof the game while simultaneously looking up and down to view the resultsof button presses.

More recently, many gaming units include an integral display unit andtouch screen interface, which positions both game control and viewingfunctions in the same location. The touch screen may be located on theprimary display, and therefore oriented substantially vertical, allowingthe player to look in a horizontal direction during game play.Alternatively, or additionally, the touch screen may be located in asecondary location separate from the primary display, such as thecontrol panel described in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/662,755. Whenpositioned in a secondary location, the touch screen may be orientedsubstantially horizontal. In either case, the touch screen issubstantially planar, and therefore may require excessive arm, hand, orfinger movement to contact different areas of the screen.

In addition, these touch screens may be surrounded by a gasket toprevent moisture from entering between the metallic gaming cabinet andthe touch screen. However, the metallic cabinet material adjacent to thetouch screen frequently causes non-linearities and substantially reducesthe operable interface area of a touch screen for a given cut-out areaof the cabinet. Consequently, the touch screen images must be smaller,or the cabinet cut-out and overall touch screen size must be larger, toaccommodate for the limited screen surface area caused by the metallicinterference of the gaming cabinet.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In one aspect, the disclosure is directed to a gaming apparatus. Thegaming apparatus may comprise a value input device, a display unit, anda player control panel defining a curved surface, the curved surfacecentered around at least one axis. The gaming apparatus also maycomprise a touch screen, the touch screen conforming to the curvedsurface of the player control panel. The gaming apparatus additionallymay comprise a controller operatively coupled to the value input device,the display unit, and the touch screen, the controller comprising aprocessor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. Thecontroller may be programmed to receive value input data via the valueinput device, and to cause the display unit to generate a game display.The controller also may be programmed to select one of a plurality ofplayer input displays. The controller additionally may be programmed toreceive player input data associated with the selected one of theplurality of player input displays via the touch screen, and todetermine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game.

In another aspect, the disclosure is directed to a gaming apparatus. Thegaming apparatus may comprise a value input device, a gaming cabinet, adisplay unit, and a driven shield gasket. The gaming apparatus also maycomprise a player control panel including a touch screen operativelycoupled to the player control panel, the touch screen operativelycoupled to the gaming cabinet, the touch screen sealed with the gamingcabinet via the driven shield. The gaming apparatus additionally maycomprise a controller operatively coupled to the value input device, thedisplay unit, the player control panel, and the touch screen, thecontroller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled tothe processor. The controller may be programmed to receive value inputdata via the value input device, and to cause the display unit togenerate a game display. The controller also may be programmed to selectone of a plurality of player input displays, to receive player inputdata associated with the selected one of the plurality of player inputdisplays via the touch screen, and to determine a value payoutassociated with an outcome of the game.

Additional aspects of the disclosure are defined by the claims of thispatent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a gaming system inaccordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of one of the gaming unitsshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of a configurable control panel for agaming unit;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic components of the gamingunit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main routine that may beperformed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative embodiment of a main routinethat may be performed during operation of one or more of the gamingunits;

FIG. 6A is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that maybe displayed during performance of the video poker routine of FIG. 8;

FIG. 6B is an illustration of an embodiment of a configurable controlpanel during performance of the video poker routine of FIG. 8;

FIG. 7A is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that maybe displayed during performance of the video blackjack routine of FIG.9;

FIG. 7B is an illustration of an embodiment of a configurable controlpanel during performance of the video blackjack routine of FIG. 9;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video poker routine that maybe performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video blackjack routine thatmay be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 10 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that maybe displayed during performance of the slots routine of FIG. 12;

FIG. 11A is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display thatmay be displayed during performance of the video keno routine of FIG.13;

FIG. 11B is an illustration of an embodiment of a configurable controlpanel during performance of the video keno routine of FIG. 13;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a slots routine that may beperformed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video keno routine that maybe performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 14A is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display thatmay be displayed during performance of the video bingo routine of FIG.15;

FIG. 14B is an illustration of an embodiment of a configurable controlpanel during performance of the video bingo routine of FIG. 15;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video bingo routine thatmay be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of the electronic components of oneembodiment of a configurable control panel unit;

FIG. 17 is an illustration of an embodiment of a configurable controlpanel;

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a routine that may beperformed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 19A is an illustration of an example player input display that maybe displayed on the configurable control panel of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19B is an illustration of another example player input display thatmay be displayed on the configurable control panel of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19C is an illustration of an example display that may be displayedon the configurable control panel of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a block diagram of the electronic components of anotherembodiment of a configurable control panel unit;

FIG. 21 is an illustration of another embodiment of a configurablecontrol panel;

FIG. 22 illustrates an embodiment of a gaming cabinet having a curvedprofile;

FIG. 23 illustrates a side profile view of a configurable control panel;

FIG. 24 illustrates an embodiment of a driven shield; and

FIG. 25 is a detail view of one embodiment of a driven shield.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

Although the following text sets forth a detailed description ofnumerous different embodiments of the disclosure, it should beunderstood that the legal scope of the disclosure is defined by thewords of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detaileddescription is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describeevery possible embodiment of the disclosure since describing everypossible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerousalternative embodiments could be implemented, using either currenttechnology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent,which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining thedisclosure.

It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined inthis patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘_(——————)’ ishereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intentto limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication,beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not beinterpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in anysection of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To theextent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent isreferred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning,that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader,and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implicationor otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element isdefined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recitalof any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim elementbe interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 112, sixthparagraph.

FIG. 1 illustrates one possible embodiment of a casino gaming system 10in accordance with the disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, the casinogaming system 10 may include a first group or network 12 of casinogaming units 20 operatively coupled to a network computer 22 via anetwork data link or bus 24. The casino gaming system 10 may include asecond group or network 26 of casino gaming units 30 operatively coupledto a network computer 32 via a network data link or bus 34. The firstand second gaming networks 12, 26 may be operatively coupled to eachother via a network 40, which may comprise, for example, the Internet, awide area network (WAN), or a local area network (LAN) via a firstnetwork link 42 and a second network link 44.

The first network 12 of gaming units 20 may be provided in a firstcasino, and the second network 26 of gaming units 30 may be provided ina second casino located in a separate geographic location than the firstcasino. For example, the two casinos may be located in different areasof the same city, or they may be located in different states. Thenetwork 40 may include a plurality of network computers or servercomputers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected.Where the network 40 comprises the Internet, data communication may takeplace over the communication links 42, 44 via an Internet communicationprotocol.

The network computer 22 may be a server computer and may be used toaccumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of the gamingunits 20. For example, the network computer 22 may continuously receivedata from each of the gaming units 20 indicative of the dollar amountand number of wagers being made on each of the gaming units 20, dataindicative of how much each of the gaming units 20 is paying out inwinnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of playersplaying each of the gaming units 20, etc. The network computer 32 may bea server computer and may be used to perform the same or differentfunctions in relation to the gaming units 30 as the network computer 22described above.

Although each network 12, 26 is shown to include one network computer22, 32 and four gaming units 20, 30, it should be understood thatdifferent numbers of computers and gaming units may be utilized. Forexample, the network 12 may include a plurality of network computers 22and tens or hundreds of gaming units 20, all of which may beinterconnected via the data link 24. The data link 24 may be provided asa dedicated hardwired link or a wireless link. Although the data link 24is shown as a single data link 24, the data link 24 may comprisemultiple data links.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one possible embodiment of one or moreof the gaming units 20. Although the following description addresses thedesign of the gaming units 20, it should be understood that the gamingunits 30 may have the same design as the gaming units 20 describedbelow. It should be understood that the design of one or more of thegaming units 20 may be different than the design of other gaming units20, and that the design of one or more of the gaming units 30 may bedifferent than the design of other gaming units 30. Each gaming unit 20may be any type of casino gaming unit and may have various differentstructures and methods of operation. For exemplary purposes, variousdesigns of the gaming units 20 are described below, but it should beunderstood that numerous other designs may be utilized.

Referring to FIG. 2, the casino gaming unit 20 may include a housing orcabinet 50 and one or more input devices, which may include a coin slotor acceptor 52, a paper currency acceptor 54, a ticket reader/printer 56and a card reader 58, which may be used to input value to the gamingunit 20. A value input device may include any device that can acceptvalue from a customer. As used herein, the term “value” may encompassgaming tokens, coins, paper currency, ticket vouchers, credit or debitcards, smart cards, and any other object representative of value.

If provided on the gaming unit 20, the ticket reader/printer 56 may beused to read and/or print or otherwise encode ticket vouchers 60. Theticket vouchers 60 may be composed of paper or another printable orencodable material and may have one or more of the followinginformational items printed or encoded thereon: the casino name, thetype of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with controland/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticketvoucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of anaward, and any other information that may be necessary or desirable.Different types of ticket vouchers 60 could be used, such as bonusticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticketvouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers,restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. The ticketvouchers 60 could be printed with an optically readable material such asink, or data on the ticket vouchers 60 could be magnetically encoded.The ticket reader/printer 56 may be provided with the ability to bothread and print ticket vouchers 60, or it may be provided with theability to only read or only print or encode ticket vouchers 60. In thelatter case, for example, some of the gaming units 20 may have ticketprinters 56 that may be used to print ticket vouchers 60, which couldthen be used by a player in other gaming units 20 that have ticketreaders 56.

If provided, the card reader 58 may include any type of card readingdevice, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, andmay be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as acredit card or a player tracking card. If provided for player trackingpurposes, the card reader 58 may be used to read data from, and/or writedata to, player tracking cards that are capable of storing datarepresenting the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, theplayer's gaming habits, etc.

The gaming unit 20 may include: one or more audio speakers 62; one ormore lights 67 indicating a jackpot, a need for service, or decoration;a player control panel 66; and a display unit 70. Where the gaming unit20 is designed to facilitate play of a video casino game, such as videopoker or video slots, the display unit 70 may be a color video displayunit that displays images relating to the particular game or games.Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a reel-typeslot machine, the display unit 70 may comprise a plurality of mechanicalreels that are rotatable, with each of the reels having a plurality ofreel images disposed thereon. The audio speakers 62 may generate audiorepresenting sounds such as the noise of spinning slot machine reels, adealer's voice, music, announcements or any other audio related to acasino game. The player control panel 66 may be provided with aplurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed bya player to select games, make wagers, make gaming decisions, etc.

FIG. 2A illustrates one possible embodiment of the control panel 66,which may be used where the gaming unit 20 is a slot machine having aplurality of mechanical or “virtual” reels. Referring to FIG. 2A, thecontrol panel 66 may include a display area 72 in which text, images,video, etc., can be displayed via a display unit separate from thedisplay unit 70 (FIG. 2). For example, one or more “buttons,” such asbuttons 78, 80, and 84, may be displayed in the display area 72. Abutton displayed in the display area 72 may be an area differentiated bya line or lines and/or a different color than other areas in the displayarea 72. The control panel 66 may also include some type of mechanism todetermine if a player touched a particular portion of the display area72 (e.g., a displayed button). For example, a touch screen device couldoverlap the display area 72. The display area 72 to may be used todisplay different buttons, images, video, etc., for different games, fordifferent stages of a game, to attract players, etc.

The control panel 66 may include one or more (or none) buttons, lights,etc., outside of the display area 72. For example, the control panel 66may include buttons such as buttons 74, 76, and 82. Buttons outside ofthe display area 72 may include any device that allows a player to makean input, such as an input device that must be depressed to make aninput selection (e.g., a mechanical button), or an area of the controlpanel 66 that a player may simply touch (e.g., the same touch screendevice associated with the display area 72 or a touch screen deviceseparate from the touch screen device associated with the display area72).

The control panel 66 of FIG. 2A may be used where the gaming unit 20 isa slot machine having a plurality of mechanical or “virtual” reels. Thecontrol panel 66 may include a “See Pays” button 74 that, whenactivated, causes the display unit 70 to generate one or more displayscreens showing the odds or payout information for the game or gamesprovided by the gaming unit 20. The control panel 66 may include a “CashOut” button 76 that may be activated when a player decides to terminateplay on the gaming unit 20, in which case the gaming unit 20 may returnvalue to the player, such as by returning a number of coins to theplayer via the payout tray 64.

If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reelsand a plurality of paylines which define winning combinations of reelsymbols, the display area 72 may include a plurality of selectionbuttons 78, each of which allows the player to select a different numberof paylines prior to spinning the reels. For example, five buttons 78may be displayed, each of which may allow a player to select one, three,five, seven or nine paylines.

If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels,the display area 72 may include a plurality of selection buttons 80 eachof which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each paylineselected. For example, if the smallest wager accepted by the gaming unit20 is a quarter ($0.25), the display area 72 may display five selectionbuttons 80, each of which may allow a player to select one, two, three,four or five quarters to wager for each payline selected. In that case,if a player were to activate the “5” button 80 (meaning that fivepaylines were to be played on the next spin of the reels) and thenactivate the “3” button 80 (meaning that three coins per payline were tobe wagered), the total wager would be $3.75 (assuming the minimum betwas $0.25).

The control panel 66 may include a “Max Bet” button 82 to allow a playerto make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example,where up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could bewagered for each payline selected, the maximum wager would be 45quarters, or $11.25. A spin button 82 may be displayed in display area72 to allow the player to initiate spinning of the reels of a slots gameafter a wager has been made.

Although one possible control panel 66 is described above, it should beunderstood that different buttons could be utilized in the control panel66, and that the particular buttons used may depend on the game or gamesthat could be played on the gaming unit 20. Additionally, some or all ofthe buttons 74, 76, and 82 could be displayed in the display area 72,and some or all of the buttons 78, 80, or 84 could be outside of thedisplay area 72.

Gaming Unit Electronics

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a number of components that may beincorporated in the gaming unit 20. Referring to FIG. 3, the gaming unit20 may include a controller 100 that may comprise a program memory 102,a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP) 104, a random-access memory(RAM) 106 and an input/output (I/O) circuit 108, all of which may beinterconnected via an address/data bus 110. It should be appreciatedthat although only one microprocessor 104 is shown, the controller 100may include multiple microprocessors 104. Similarly, the memory of thecontroller 100 may include multiple RAMs 106 and multiple programmemories 102. Although the I/O circuit 108 is shown as a single block,it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit 108 may include a numberof different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s) 104 and program memories102 may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readablememories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.

Although the program memory 102 is shown in FIG. 3 as a read-only memory(ROM) 102, the program memory of the controller 100 may be a read/writeor alterable memory, such as a hard disk. In the event a hard disk isused as a program memory, the address/data bus 110 shown schematicallyin FIG. 3 may comprise multiple address/data buses, which may be ofdifferent types, and there may be an I/O circuit disposed between theaddress/data buses.

FIG. 3 illustrates that the control panel 66, the coin acceptor 52, thebill acceptor 54, the card reader 58 and the ticket reader/printer 56may be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit 108, each of thosecomponents being so coupled by either a unidirectional or bidirectional,single-line or multiple-line data link, which may depend on the designof the component that is used. The speaker(s) 62 may be operativelycoupled to a sound circuit 112, that may comprise a voice- andsound-synthesis circuit or that may comprise a driver circuit. Thesound-generating circuit 112 may be coupled to the I/O circuit 108.

As shown in FIG. 3, the components 52, 54, 56, 58, 66, 112 may beconnected to the I/O circuit 108 via a respective direct line orconductor. Different connection schemes could be used. For example, oneor more of the components shown in FIG. 3 may be connected to the I/Ocircuit 108 via a common bus or other data link that is shared by anumber of components. Furthermore, some of the components may bedirectly connected to the microprocessor 104 without passing through theI/O circuit 108.

Overall Operation of Gaming Unit

One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or moreof the gaming units 30) may operate is described below in connectionwith a number of flowcharts which represent a number of portions orroutines of one or more computer programs, which may be stored in one ormore of the memories of the controller 100. The computer program(s) orportions thereof may be stored remotely, outside of the gaming unit 20,and may control the operation of the gaming unit 20 from a remotelocation. Such remote control may be facilitated with the use of awireless connection, or by an Internet interface that connects thegaming unit 20 with a remote computer (such as one of the networkcomputers 22, 32) having a memory in which the computer program portionsare stored. The computer program portions may be written in any highlevel language such as C, C++, C#, Java or the like or any low-levelassembly or machine language. By storing the computer program portionstherein, various portions of the memories 102, 106 are physically and/orstructurally configured in accordance with computer programinstructions.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a main operating routine 200 that may be storedin the memory of the controller 100. Referring to FIG. 4, the mainroutine 200 may begin operation at block 202 during which an attractionsequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player ina casino to play the gaming unit 20. The attraction sequence may beperformed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit 70(if provided as a video display unit) and/or the display area 72 of thecontrol panel 66, and/or causing one or more sound segments, such asvoice or music, to be generated via the speakers 62. The attractionsequence may include a scrolling list of games that may be played on thegaming unit 20 and/or video images of various games being played, suchas video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo,etc.

During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential playermakes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 204, theattraction sequence may be terminated and a game-selection display maybe generated on the display unit 70 (if provided as a video displayunit), and/or the display area 72 of the control panel 66, at block 206to allow the player to select a game available on the gaming unit 20.The gaming unit 20 may detect an input at block 204 in various ways. Forexample, the gaming unit 20 could detect if the player presses anybutton on the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if theplayer deposited one or more coins into the gaming unit 20; the gamingunit 20 could determine if player deposited paper currency into thegaming unit; etc.

The game-selection display generated at block 206 may include, forexample, a list of video games that may be played on the gaming unit 20and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into thegaming unit 20. While the game-selection display is generated, thegaming unit 20 may wait for the player to make a game selection. Uponselection of one of the games by the player as determined at block 208,the controller 100 may cause one of a number of game routines to beperformed to allow the selected game to be played. For example, the gameroutines could include a video poker routine 210, a video blackjackroutine 220, a slots routine 230, a video keno routine 240, and a videobingo routine 250. At block 208, if no game selection is made within agiven period of time, the operation may branch back to block 202.

After one of the routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250 has been performed toallow the player to play one of the games, block 260 may be utilized todetermine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit20 or to select another game. If the player wishes to stop playing thegaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a“Cash Out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the playerat block 262 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player.The operation may then return to block 202. If the player did not wishto quit as determined at block 260, the routine may return to block 208where the game-selection display may again be generated to allow theplayer to select another game.

It should be noted that although five gaming routines are shown in FIG.4, a different number of routines could be included to allow play of adifferent number of games. The gaming unit 20 may also be programmed toallow play of different games.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative main operating routine 300 thatmay be stored in the memory of the controller 100. The main routine 300may be utilized for gaming units 20 that are designed to allow play ofonly a single game or single type of game. Referring to FIG. 5, the mainroutine 300 may begin operation at block 302 during which an attractionsequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player ina casino to play the gaming unit 20. The attraction sequence may beperformed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit 70(if provided as a video display unit), and/or the display area 72 of thecontrol panel 66, and/or causing one or more sound segments, such asvoice or music, to be generated via the speakers 62.

During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential playermakes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 304, theattraction sequence may be terminated and a game display may begenerated on the display unit 70 (if provided as a video display unit)at block 306. The game display generated at block 306 may include, forexample, an image of the casino game that may be played on the gamingunit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit valueinto the gaming unit 20. Also, an input display may be generated on thedisplay area 72 of the control panel 66. The input display may include,for example, images of buttons for making selections. At block 308, thegaming unit 20 may determine if the player requested informationconcerning the game, in which case the requested information may bedisplayed at block 310. Block 312 may be used to determine if the playerrequested initiation of a game, in which case a game routine 320 may beperformed. The game routine 320 could be any one of the game routinesdisclosed herein, such as one of the five game routines 210, 220, 230,240, 250, or another game routine.

After the routine 320 has been performed to allow the player to play thegame, block 322 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishesto terminate play on the gaming unit 20. If the player wishes to stopplaying the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, byselecting a “Cash Out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value tothe player at block 324 based on the outcome of the game(s) played bythe player. The operation may then return to block 302. If the playerdid not wish to quit as determined at block 322, the operation mayreturn to block 308.

Video Poker

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video pokergame, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit. FIG. 6A isan example display 350 that may be shown on the display unit 70 duringperformance of the video poker routine 210 shown schematically in FIG.4. Referring to FIG. 6A, the display 350 may include video images 352 ofa plurality of playing cards representing the player's hand, such asfive cards. Also, the display 350 may include one or more indicators 353proximate to each card that the player has chosen to “hold.” Forexample, the indicator 353 may include the word “HELD.” The display 350may also include an area 354 in which the number of remaining credits orvalue is displayed.

FIG. 6B is an example control panel 356 that may be used to facilitateplay of a video poker game. The control panel 356 is similar to thecontrol panel 66 described with reference to FIG. 2A. In particular, thecontrol panel 356 may include a display area 357 having an associatedmechanism to determine if a player touched a particular portion of thedisplay area 357. FIG. 6B illustrates an example player input displaythat may be displayed in the display area 357 during performance of thevideo poker routine 210 shown schematically in FIG. 4.

Player-selectable buttons may be provided and/or displayed on thecontrol panel 356. Images 358 of playing cards representing the player'shand, and corresponding with the images 352 shown on the display 350 ofFIG. 6A, may be displayed in the display area 357. Additionally, aplurality of “Hold” buttons 359 may be displayed on, proximate to, etc.,the images 358. A player may use a “Hold” button 359 to choose to “Hold”a corresponding card. Once held, a “Cancel” button 360 may be displayedon, proximate to, etc., the held card to allow the player to cancel the“Hold” request. In one embodiment, the playing card image 358 may be the“Hold” button 359 and the “Cancel” button 360. For example, the word“Hold” or the word “Cancel” could be displayed in the image 358. Then,the player could select the card image 158 to “Hold” or cancel the“Hold.”

A “Deal/Draw” button 361 may be displayed in the display area 357. Inone embodiment, the “Deal/Draw” button 361 may either include the word“Deal” or “Draw” depending on the point in the game. Other buttons mayinclude a “Cash Out” button 362, a “See Pays” button 364, a “Bet OneCredit” button 366, and a “Bet Max Credits” button 368.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the video poker routine 210 shown schematicallyin FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 8, at block 370, the routine may determinewhether the player has requested payout information, such as byactivating the “See Pays” button 364, in which case at block 372 theroutine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the displayunit 70. At block 374, the routine may determine whether the player hasmade a bet, such as by pressing the “Bet One Credit” button 366, inwhich case at block 376 bet data corresponding to the bet made by theplayer may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 378,the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the “Bet MaxCredits” button 368, in which case at block 380 bet data correspondingto the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of thecontroller 100.

At block 382, the routine may determine if the player desires a new handto be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the “Deal/Draw”button 361 was activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block384 a video poker hand may be “dealt” by causing the display unit 70 togenerate the playing card images 352. After the hand is dealt, at block386 the routine may determine if any of the “Hold” buttons 359 have beenactivated by the player, in which case data regarding which of theplaying card images 352 are to be “held” may be stored in the controller100 at block 388. If the “Deal/Draw” button 361 is activated again asdetermined at block 390, each of the playing card images 352 that wasnot “held” may be caused to disappear from the video display 350 and thedisplay area 357, and to be replaced by a new, randomly selected,playing card image 352, 358 at block 392.

At block 394, the routine may determine whether the poker handrepresented by the playing card images 352 currently displayed is awinner. That determination may be made by comparing data representingthe currently displayed poker hand with data representing all possiblewinning hands, which may be stored in the memory of the controller 100.If there is a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winninghand may be determined at block 396. At block 398, the player'scumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting thebet made by the player and adding, if the hand was a winner, the payoutvalue determined at block 396. The cumulative value or number of creditsmay also be displayed in the display area 366 (FIG. 6).

Although the video poker routine 210 is described above in connectionwith a single poker hand of five cards, the routine 210 may be modifiedto allow other versions of poker to be played. For example, seven cardpoker may be played, or stud poker may be played. Alternatively,multiple poker hands may be simultaneously played. In that case, thegame may begin by dealing a single poker hand, and the player may beallowed to hold certain cards. After deciding which cards to hold, theheld cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different poker hands,with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomlydetermined.

Video Blackjack

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a videoblackjack game, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit.FIG. 7A is an exemplary display 400 that may be shown on the displayunit 70 during performance of the video blackjack routine 220 shownschematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 7A, the display 400 mayinclude video images 402 of a pair of playing cards representing adealer's hand, with one of the cards shown face up and the other cardbeing shown face down, and video images 403 of a pair of playing cardsrepresenting a player's hand, with both the cards shown face up. The“dealer” may be the gaming unit 20. The display 400 may also include anarea 404 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed.

FIG. 7B is an example control panel 405 that may be used to facilitateplay of a video blackjack game. The control panel 405 is similar to thecontrol panel 66 described with reference to FIG. 2A. In particular, thecontrol panel 405 may include a display area 406 having an associatedmechanism to determine if a player touched a particular portion of thedisplay area 406. FIG. 7B illustrates an example player input displaythat may be displayed in the display area 406 during performance of thevideo blackjack routine 220 shown schematically in FIG. 4.

To allow the player to control the play of the video blackjack game, aplurality of player-selectable buttons may be provided and/or displayedon the control panel 405. Images 407 and 408 of playing cardsrepresenting the dealer's hand and the player's hand, respectively, andcorresponding with the images 402, 403 shown on the display 400 of FIG.7A, may be displayed in the display area 406. Additionally, a “Stay”button 410 and a “Hit” button 412 may be displayed in the display area406. Other buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 414, a “See Pays”button 415, a “Bet One Credit” button 416, and a “Bet Max Credits”button 417.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the video blackjack routine 220 shownschematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 9, the video blackjackroutine 220 may begin at block 420 where it may determine whether a bethas been made by the player. That may be determined, for example, bydetecting the activation of either the “Bet One Credit” button 416 orthe “Bet Max Credits” button 417. At block 422, bet data correspondingto the bet made at block 420 may be stored in the memory of thecontroller 100. At block 424, a dealer's hand and a player's hand may be“dealt” by making the playing card images 402, 403 appear on the displayunit 70, and the playing card images 407, 408 appear in the display area406 of the control panel 405.

At block 426, the player may be allowed to be “hit,” in which case atblock 428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by makinganother playing card image 403 appear in the display 400, and anotherplaying card image 408 appear in the display area 406 of the controlpanel 405. If the player is hit, block 430 may determine if the playerhas “bust,” or exceeded 21. If the player has not bust, blocks 426 and428 may be performed again to allow the player to be hit again.

If the player decides not to hit, at block 432 the routine may determinewhether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may bedetermined in accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealeralways hit if the dealer's hand totals 15 or less. If the dealer hits,at block 434 the dealer's hand may be dealt another card by makinganother playing card image 402 appear in the display 400, and anothercard image 407 appear in the display are 406 of the control panel 405.At block 436 the routine may determine whether the dealer has bust. Ifthe dealer has not bust, blocks 432, 434 may be performed again to allowthe dealer to be hit again.

If the dealer does not hit, at block 436 the outcome of the blackjackgame and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example,whether the player or the dealer has the higher hand that does notexceed 21. If the player has a winning hand, a payout valuecorresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 440. Atblock 442, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may beupdated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if theplayer won, the payout value determined at block 440. The cumulativevalue or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 404(FIG. 7A).

Slots

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video slotsgame, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit. FIG. 10 isan exemplary display 450 that may be shown on the display unit 70 duringperformance of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in FIG. 4.Referring to FIG. 10, the display 450 may include video images 452 of aplurality of slot machine reels, each of the reels having a plurality ofreel symbols 454 associated therewith. Although the display 450 showsfive reel images 452, each of which may have three reel symbols 454 thatare visible at a time, other reel configurations could be utilized.

FIG. 2A is an example control panel 66 that may be used to facilitateplay of a video poker game. As previously described, the control panel66 may include the display area 72 having an associated mechanism todetermine if a player touched a particular portion of the display area72. FIG. 2A illustrates an example player input display that may bedisplayed in the display area 72 during performance of the slots routine230 shown schematically in FIG. 4.

To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a pluralityof player-selectable buttons may be provided or displayed on the controlpanel 66. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 76, a “See Pays”button 74, a plurality of payline-selection buttons 78 each of whichallows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to“spinning” the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons 80 each ofwhich allows a player to specify a wager amount for each paylineselected, a “Spin” button 84, and a “Max Bet” button 82 to allow aplayer to make the maximum wager allowable.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the slots routine 230 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 12, at block 470, the routine may determinewhether the player has requested payout information, such as byactivating the “See Pays” button 74, in which case at block 472 theroutine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the displayunit 70 and/or in the display area 72 of the control panel 66. At block474, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of thepayline-selection buttons 78, in which case at block 476 datacorresponding to the number of paylines selected by the player may bestored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 478, the routinemay determine whether the player has pressed one of the bet-selectionbuttons 80, in which case at block 480 data corresponding to the amountbet per payline may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. Atblock 482, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the“Max Bet” button 82, in which case at block 484 bet data (which mayinclude both payline data and bet-per-payline data) corresponding to themaximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of the controller 100.

If the “Spin” button 8 has been activated by the player as determined atblock 486, at block 488 the routine may cause the slot machine reelimages 452 to begin “spinning” so as to simulate the appearance of aplurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels. At block 490, theroutine may determine the positions at which the slot machine reelimages will stop, or the particular symbol images 454 that will bedisplayed when the reel images 452 stop spinning. At block 492, theroutine may stop the reel images 452 from spinning by displayingstationary reel images 452 and images of three symbols 454 for eachstopped reel image 452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left toright, from the perspective of the player, or in any other manner orsequence.

The routine may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round ifcertain conditions are met, such as the display in the stopped reelimages 452 of a particular symbol 454. If there is such a bonuscondition as determined at block 494, the routine may proceed to block496 where a bonus round may be played. The bonus round may be adifferent game than slots, and many other types of bonus games could beprovided. If the player wins the bonus round, or receives additionalcredits or points in the bonus round, a bonus value may be determined atblock 498. A payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots gameand/or the bonus round may be determined at block 500. At block 502, theplayer's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated bysubtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot gameand/or bonus round was a winner, the payout value determined at block500.

Although the above routine has been described as a virtual slot machineroutine in which slot machine reels are represented as images on thedisplay unit 70, actual slot machine reels that are capable of beingspun may be utilized instead, in which case the display unit 70 could beprovided in the form of a plurality of mechanical reels that arerotatable, each of the reels having a plurality of reel images disposedthereon.

Video Keno

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video kenogame, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit. FIG. 11A isan exemplary display 520 that may be shown on the display unit 70 duringperformance of the video keno routine 240 shown schematically in FIG. 4.Referring to FIG. 11A, the display 520 may include a video image 521 ofa plurality of numbers that were selected by the player prior to thestart of a keno game and a video image 522 of a plurality of numbersrandomly selected during the keno game. The randomly selected numbersmay be displayed in a grid pattern. The display 520 may also include anarea 523 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed.

FIG. 11B is an example control panel 524 that may be used to facilitateplay of a keno game. The control panel 524 is similar to the controlpanel 66 described with reference to FIG. 2A. In particular, the controlpanel 524 may include a display area 525 having an associated mechanismto determine if a player touched a particular portion of the displayarea 525. FIG. 11B illustrates an example player input display that maybe displayed in the display area 406 during performance of the kenoroutine 240 shown schematically in FIG. 4.

To allow the player to control the play of the keno game, a plurality ofplayer-selectable buttons may be provided and/or displayed on thecontrol panel 524. A “Select Ticket” button 526, a “Select Number”button 527, and a “Play” button 528 may be provided in the display area525. Other buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 530, a “See Pays”button 532, a “Bet One Credit” button 534, and a “Bet Max Credits”button 536.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the video keno routine 240 shown schematicallyin FIG. 4. The keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with asingle gaming unit 20 where a single player is playing a keno game, orthe keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with multiple gamingunits 20 where multiple players are playing a single keno game. In thelatter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performedeither by the controller 100 in each gaming unit or by one of thenetwork computer 22, 32 to which multiple gaming units 20 areoperatively connected.

Referring to FIG. 13, at block 550, the routine may determine whetherthe player has requested payout information, such as by activating the“See Pays” button 532, in which case at block 552 the routine may causeone or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70 and/or inthe display area 525. At block 554, the routine may determine whetherthe player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the “Bet OneCredit” button 534 or the “Bet Max Credits” button 536, in which case atblock 556 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may bestored in the memory of the controller 100. After the player has made awager, at block 558 the player may select a keno ticket, and at block560 the ticket may be displayed on the display 520. At block 562, theplayer may select one or more game numbers, which may be within a rangeset by the casino. After being selected, the player's game numbers maybe stored in the memory of the controller 100 at block 564 and may beincluded in the image 522 on the display 520 at block 566. After acertain amount of time, the keno game may be closed to additionalplayers (where a number of players are playing a single keno game usingmultiple gambling units 20).

If play of the keno game is to begin as determined at block 568, atblock 570 a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomlyselected either by the controller 100 or a central computer operativelyconnected to the controller, such as one of the network computers 22,32. At block 572, the randomly selected game number may be displayed onthe display unit 70 and the display units 70 of other gaming units 20(if any) which are involved in the same keno game. At block 574, thecontroller 100 (or the central computer noted above) may increment acount which keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected atblock 570.

At block 576, the controller 100 (or one of the network computers 22,32) may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within therange have been randomly selected. If not, another game number may berandomly selected at block 570. If the maximum number of game numbershas been selected, at block 578 the controller 100 (or a centralcomputer) may determine whether there are a sufficient number of matchesbetween the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbersselected at block 570 to cause the player to win. The number of matchesmay depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particularkeno rules being used.

If there are a sufficient number of matches, a payout may be determinedat block 580 to compensate the player for winning the game. The payoutmay depend on the number of matches between the game numbers selected bythe player and the game numbers randomly selected at block 570. At block582, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updatedby subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno gamewas won, the payout value determined at block 580. The cumulative valueor number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 523 (FIG.11A).

Video Bingo

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video bingogame, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit. FIG. 14A isan exemplary display 600 that may be shown on the display unit 70 duringperformance of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in FIG.4. Referring to FIG. 14A, the display 600 may include one or more videoimages 602 of a bingo card and images of the bingo numbers selectedduring the game. The bingo card images 602 may have a grid pattern. Thedisplay 600 may also include an area 602 in which the number ofremaining credits or value is displayed.

FIG. 14B is an example control panel 603 that may be used to facilitateplay of a bingo game. The control panel 603 is similar to the controlpanel 66 described with reference to FIG. 2A. In particular, the controlpanel 603 may include a display area 604 having an associated mechanismto determine if a player touched a particular portion of the displayarea 604. FIG. 11B illustrates an example player input display that maybe displayed in the display area 604 during performance of the bingoroutine 250 shown schematically in FIG. 4.

To allow the player to control the play of the bingo game, a pluralityof player-selectable buttons may be provided and/or displayed on thecontrol panel 603. A “Select Card” button 606 and a “Play” button 608may be provided in the display area 604. Other buttons may include a“Cash Out” button 610, a “See Pays” button 612, a “Bet One Credit”button 614, and a “Bet Max Credits” button 616.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of the video bingo routine 250 shownschematically in FIG. 4. The bingo routine 250 may be utilized inconnection with a single gaming unit 20 where a single player is playinga bingo game, or the bingo routine 250 may be utilized in connectionwith multiple gaming units 20 where multiple players are playing asingle bingo game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts describedbelow may be performed either by the controller 100 in each gaming unit20 or by one of the network computers 22, 32 to which multiple gamingunits 20 are operatively connected.

Referring to FIG. 15, at block 620, the routine may determine whetherthe player has requested payout information, such as by activating the“See Pays” button 612, in which case at block 622 the routine may causeone or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block624, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, suchas by having pressed the “Bet One Credit” button 614 or the “Bet MaxCredits” button 616, in which case at block 626 bet data correspondingto the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller 100.

After the player has made a wager, at block 628 the player may select abingo card, which may be generated randomly. The player may select morethan one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cardsthat a player may select. After play is to commence as determined atblock 632, at block 634 a bingo number may be randomly generated by thecontroller 100 or a central computer such as one of the networkcomputers 22, 32. At block 636, the bingo number may be displayed on thedisplay unit 70 and the display units 70 of any other gaming units 20involved in the bingo game.

At block 638, the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determinewhether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, anotherbingo number may be randomly selected at block 634. If any player hasbingo as determined at block 638, the routine may determine at block 640whether the player playing that gaming unit 20 was the winner. If so, atblock 642 a payout for the player may be determined. The payout maydepend on the number of random numbers that were drawn before there wasa winner, the total number of winners (if there was more than oneplayer), and the amount of money that was wagered on the game. At block644, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updatedby subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo gamewas won, the payout value determined at block 642. The cumulative valueor number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 602 (FIG.14A).

Control Panel Electronics

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a number of components that may be part ofa control panel unit 700, and FIG. 17 is an example control panel 750associated with the control pane unit 700 of FIG. 16. FIG. 16 will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 17. Referring to FIG. 16, the controlpanel unit 700 may include a display unit 708 that may be used todisplay images, video, etc., in a display area 754 of the control panel750. The display unit 708 may include a cathode ray tube, a liquidcrystal display, a plasma display, a vacuum fluorescent display, etc.The control panel unit 700 may also include a touch screen unit 712. Thetouch screen unit 712 may include a touch-sensitive screen that overlapswith the display area 754 and, optionally, other areas of the controlpanel 750. Thus, buttons 762, for example, outside of the display area754 may be implemented using the touch screen unit 712. The touch screenunit 712 may include a capacitive touch screen device, a resistive touchscreen device, a near field imaging touch screen device, etc.

The control panel unit 700 may further include one or more additionaltouch screen units 716. These additional touch screen units 716 may beused to implement buttons 762 outside of the display area 754 if, forexample, the touch screen unit 712 is not used to implement thesebuttons. The control panel unit 700 may also include one or more lights720 (e.g., fluorescent lights, light emitting diodes, numeric displays,alphanumeric displays, etc.). These lights may be used to attractplayers, provide informational displays, etc. For example, the lights720 may be used to implement the displays 758 of the control panel 750.

The control panel unit 700 may further include one or more switches 724.The switches 724 may be used, for example, to implement the displays 758of the control panel 750. For instance, switches 724 could be used tomove flaps to block light, redirect light, etc., from the lights 720 tothe buttons 762 and/or the displays 758. The control panel unit 700 maystill further include one or more mechanical buttons 728 which can beused to implement one or more of the buttons 762, rather than using atouch screen unit 712 or 716.

FIG. 16 illustrates that the display unit 708, the touch screen unit712, the touch screen unit(s) 716, the light(s) 720, the switch(es) 724,and the button(s) 728 may be operatively coupled to the controller 100of FIG. 3, each of those components being so coupled by either aunidirectional or bidirectional, single-line or multiple-line data link,which may depend on the design of the component that is used. As shownin FIG. 16, the components 708, 712, 716, 720, 724, and 728 may beconnected to the controller 100 via a respective direct line orconductor. Different connection schemes could be used. For example, oneor more of the components shown in FIG. 16 may be connected to thecontroller 100 via a common bus or other data link that is shared by anumber of components.

The controller 100 may cause the display unit 708 to display images,video, etc., in the display area 754. As just one example, images ofbuttons could be displayed in the display area 754. For instance, thecontroller 100 may cause the display unit 708 to generate a display suchas any of the displays of FIGS. 2A, 6B, 7B, 11B, and 14B. Additionally,a player's touch within the display area 754 can be detected, and theposition of the touch determined, using the touch screen unit 712. Thecontroller 100 may cause the display areas 758 to display information tothe player, flash lights to attract a player, etc. For example, a lightcould be made to flash during an attract sequence. As another example, anumeric display could be used display information to the player, such asa number of credits.

If the buttons 762 are to be implemented using the touch screen unit 712or 716, the areas of the control panel 750 corresponding to the buttons762 may be indicated by, for example, lines, words, lights, etc. Forexample, certain ones of the buttons 762 could be illuminated using thelights 720 and the switches 724. For example, if a button is not neededfor a particular game, or for a portion of a game, the button could bede-illuminated so that a player would not see the button, so that itwould be difficult to see the button, so that the button would be lessnoticeable, etc. In particular, certain lights 720 could be turned on oroff by the controller 100 to illuminate particular buttons.Additionally, switches 724 could be used to move flaps to block light,allow light, redirect light, etc., from the lights 720 to certain onesof the buttons 762.

In one embodiment, the control panel 750 may include a darkened,transparent material such as glass, Plexiglas® plastic, etc., that liesunder one or more touch-sensitive screens. In this embodiment, thebuttons 762 may be implemented via the touch-sensitive screen 712 oradditional touch sensitive screens 716. In this embodiment, display area754, display areas 758, and buttons 762 may not be noticeable to aplayer if not illuminated. Thus, if one of the buttons 762 is not neededfor a particular game, for a particular part of a game, etc., thatbutton could be left de-illuminated. Thus, a player may not see, or itmay be more difficult for a player to see, certain ones of the buttons762 at certain times.

Configuring the Control Panel

One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or moreof the gaming units 30) may operate is described below in connectionwith a flowchart which represents a portion or routine of one or morecomputer programs, which may be stored in one or more of the memories ofthe controller 100. The computer program(s) or portion thereof may bestored remotely, outside of the gaming unit 20, and may control theoperation of the gaming unit 20 from a remote location. Such remotecontrol may be facilitated with the use of a wireless connection, or byan Internet interface that connects the gaming unit 20 with a remotecomputer (such as one of the network computers 22, 32) having a memoryin which the computer program portions are stored. The computer programportion may be written in any high level language such as C, C++, C#,Java or the like or any low-level assembly or machine language. Bystoring the computer program portion therein, various portions of thememories of the controller 100 are physically and/or structurallyconfigured in accordance with computer program instructions.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an example routine 800 that may be stored inthe memory of the controller 100. The routine 800 will be described withreference to FIG. 17. Referring to FIG. 18, the routine 800 may beginoperation at block 804 at which a control panel display to be displayedin the display area 754 may be determined. As will be discussedsubsequently in more detail, the control panel display may be determinedbased on a number of factors including, for example, one or more of thegame being played or to be played, a point within the game, adenomination of the game, player input, player tracking information, atime, etc. Determining the control panel display may include, forexample, determining one or more images, a video, buttons, a background,etc., to be displayed in the display area 754.

At block 808, the controller 100 may cause the display unit 708 todisplay the control panel display determined at block 804.

At block 812, one or more buttons 762 and/or one or more display areas758 to be used may be determined. The buttons 762 and/or the displayareas 758 to be used may be determined based on a number of factorsincluding, for example, one or more of the game being played or to beplayed, a stage of the game, a denomination of the game, player input,player tracking information, a time, etc. Determining the buttons 762and/or the display areas 758 to be used may include, for example,determining particular lights 720 and/or switches 724 to be activated ordeactivated.

At block 816, the one or more buttons 762 and/or one or more displayareas 758 determined at block 812 may be illuminated. Also, other of thebuttons 762 and/or display areas 758 may be de-illuminated.Illuminating/de-illuminating the buttons 762 and/or the display areas758 may include, for example, activating or deactivating particularlights 720 and/or switches 724.

A routine such as the routine 800 may be used to reconfigure the controlpanel 750 in various situations. For example, a gaming unit 20 may becapable of facilitating play of a plurality of types of games such astwo or more of poker, blackjack, slots, keno, and bingo. For example, aplayer may be able to choose one game type of the plurality of gametypes via a game selection display. Once the player has selected a gametype, the control panel 750 may be configured to play the selected gametype. For instance, the control panel 750 may be configured to implementa control panel such as one of the control panels of FIGS. 2A, 6B, 7B,11B, or 14B.

As another example, a gaming unit 20 could be configured for play of oneof the plurality of game types by an owner of the gaming unit 20, acasino operator, etc. Referring to FIG. 1, for instance, software forconfiguring a gaming unit 20 or 30 could be loaded to the gaming unit 20or 30 via the network 24 or 34, or software could loaded to the to thegaming unit 20 or 30 via a memory module, disk, etc. The loaded softwarecould include one or more appropriate control panel configurations forthe game.

A routine such as the routine 800 may be used to reconfigure the controlpanel 750 during play of a game, after a game has ended, when a game isto start, etc. For example, the control panel 750 may be reconfiguredfor different stages of the same game. FIG. 19A is an example display904 that may be displayed in the display area 754 during a slots game.For instance, the display 904 may be displayed when a player is tochoose a number of paylines and a number of plays per line. The display904 may include a plurality of buttons 906 for choosing a number ofpaylines, and may include a plurality of buttons 908 for choosing anumber of plays per line. After the player selects a number of paylinesand a number of plays per line, a display such as the example display910 of FIG. 19B may be displayed in the display area 754. The display910 includes a “Spin” button 912. After the player selects the “Spin”button 912, a display such as the example display 916 of FIG. 19C may bedisplayed in the display area 754. The display 916 may include a companylogo, for example.

As another example, the control panel 750 may be reconfigured if aplayer, owner, casino operator, etc., chooses to change a denominationof a game. For example, if a denomination of the game is changed, acorresponding amount of a “Max Bet” may be displayed in the display area754, for example. If a “Max Bet” button is displayed in the display area754, the “Max Bet” button may itself indicate the amount of the “MaxBet.”

The control panel 750 may be reconfigured based on information receivedfrom a player tracking card. As just one example, information stored ona player tracking card may indicate that a preferred game of the playeris $1 blackjack. After the gaming unit 20 reads the player's trackingcard, the gaming unit 20 may configure itself for a $1 blackjack game.This may include appropriately configuring the control panel 750 for $1blackjack.

As illustrated in the examples of FIGS. 6A and 6B, much or all of whatis shown on the display unit 70 of the gaming unit 20 can also bedisplayed on the display unit 708 of the control panel unit 700. Thus,in some embodiments, the game being played by the player can bedisplayed on the display unit 708 while the display unit 70 can be usedto display, for example, a bonus game, a tournament game, a featureevent, advertisements, television shows, movies, music videos, etc.Alternatively, the display unit 708 of the control panel unit 700 can beused to display, for example, a bonus game, a tournament game, a featureevent, advertisements, television shows, movies, music videos, etc.

The display unit 708 of the control panel unit 700 can be used todisplay various types of information to the player. For example, variousstatistics (e.g., winnings, credits, number of games, time on themachine, etc.) for the player could be displayed. As another example,announcements by the casino could be displayed on the display unit 708.As yet another example, a notification that an award has been awarded tothe player could be displayed on the display unit 708.

The control panel 750 can also be configured to provide the player withuser interfaces for various functions. For example, the control panel750 could be configured to provide a user interface for configuring theplayer's player tracking card. For instance, the player could use theuser interface to choose or change preferences. As another example, thecontrol panel 750 could be configured to provide the player with a userinterface for ordering drinks, food, tickets to shows, services offeredby a casino, etc.

A background may be displayed on the display unit 708, and buttons maybe displayed “in front of” the background. The background may be, forexample, a color, an image, a video, etc. Additionally, the backgroundmay change based on, for example, one or more of a time, the game, astage of the game, user input, etc.

In one example, the display unit 708 of the control panel unit 700 maybe capable of displaying text, images, and video in color. Also, thecontrol panel 750 may include a darkened, transparent sheet of glass,Plexiglas®, plastic, etc., under a touch screen device so that thecontrol panel 750, including the display area 754, the display areas758, and the buttons 762, may appear to the player as a unified panel.The control panel 750 may be water resistant so as to reduce the chanceof drinks spilled on the control panel 750 damaging the gaming unit 20.In other examples, the display unit 708 may be a monochrome displayunit. In still other examples, the display unit 708 may not be capableof displaying video at frame rates similar to television or movies.Also, the control panel 750 need not include a darkened sheet of glass,Plexiglas®, plastic, etc., or be water resistant.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram of another example control panel unit 1000.Referring to FIG. 20, the control panel unit 1000 may include a controlpanel controller 1004 that may comprise one or memories (not shown), oneor more microcontrollers and/or microprocessors (not shown). The memoryor memories may include one or more RAMs, ROMs. The memory or memoriesmay be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readablememories, and/or optically readable memories, for example. The controlpanel controller 1004 may be operatively coupled to the controller 100of FIG. 3.

FIG. 20 illustrates that the display unit 708, the touch screen unit712, the touch screen unit(s) 716, the light(s) 720, the switch(es) 724,and the button(s) 728 may be operatively coupled to the control panelcontroller 1004, each of those components being so coupled by either aunidirectional or bidirectional, single-line or multiple-line data link,which may depend on the design of the component that is used. As shownin FIG. 20, the components 708, 712, 716, 720, 724, and 728 may beconnected to the control panel controller 1004 via a respective directline or conductor. Different connection schemes could be used. Forexample, one or more of the components shown in FIG. 20 may be connectedto the control panel controller 1004 via a common bus or other data linkthat is shared by a number of components. Additionally, one or more ofthe components 708, 712, 716, 720, 724, and 728 may be connecteddirectly to the controller 100 of FIG. 3.

The control panel controller 1004, as prompted by the controller 100,for example, may cause the display unit 708 to display images, video,etc., in the display area 754. For instance, the control panelcontroller 1004 may cause the display unit 708 to generate a displaysuch as any of the displays of FIGS. 2A, 6B, 7B, 11B, and 14B. Thecontrol panel controller 1004 may cause the display areas 758 to displayinformation to the player, flash lights to attract a player, etc.

Certain lights 720 could be turned on or off, and certain switches 724could be activated or deactivated by the control panel controller 1004to illuminate particular buttons.

A control panel need not include buttons or displays outside of thedisplay area associated with the display unit 708. For example, FIG. 21is an illustration of an example display 1050 having a display area 1054in which the display unit 708 may display text, images, video, etc. Thedisplay 1050 does not include any buttons or displays outside of thedisplay area 1054.

In the above description, various methods have been described withreference to flow diagrams. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skillin the art that each of these methods may be implemented, in whole or inpart, by software, hardware, and/or firmware. If implemented, in wholeor in part, by software, the software may be stored on a tangible mediumsuch as a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a digital versatile disk(DVD), a ROM, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electricallyerasable programmable PROM (EEPROM), a flash memory, etc. Further,although the examples described above were described with reference tovarious flow diagrams, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat many other methods may alternatively be used. For example, theorder of execution of the blocks may be changed, additional blocks maybe added, and/or some or all of the blocks may be changed, eliminated,or combined.

Configurable Control Panel

FIG. 22, similar to FIG. 2, is a perspective view of one possibleembodiment of one or more gaming units 1100. In particular, the gamingunit 1100 may include a gaming cabinet 1110 to enclose variouscomponents of the gaming unit 1100. The gaming cabinet 1100 may bedefined by a front surface 1120, a top surface 1130, a back surface1140, a bottom surface 1150, a left surface 1160, and a right surface1170. The front surface 1120 terminates at a bolster interface 1210which is terminated by a bolster pad 1220. The gaming cabinet 1100 mayinclude a display unit 1180 which may be a color video display unit thatdisplays images relating to the particular game or games. The displayunit may further include a plurality of touch-sensitive areas of a touchscreen that may be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers,make gaming decisions, etc. Additional player control may occur via aplayer control panel 1190 having a non-planar or curved profile. Theconfigurable control panel may also include touch-sensitive areas of atouch screen that may be pressed by a player to select games, makewagers, make gaming decisions, etc.

The curved profile on the surface of the configurable control panel 1190shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 is substantially concave about a reference axis1200, although the surface could be convex, or include both concave,convex, or otherwise non-planar portions. A curved touch screen followsthe profile of the configurable control panel and may use a capacitive,surface acoustic wave, resistive, or any other form of touch screentechnology. In the illustrated embodiment, the curved profile of theconfigurable control panel 1190 is substantially the same as that of thegaming cabinet 1100 front surface 1120 proximate the reference axis1200. A constant radius, forming any part of a circle, may form thecurved surface about the reference axis 1200. Alternatively, the radiuswith respect to the reference axis may vary, allowing elliptical,parabolic, and other curved surfaces having a non-uniform radius. Whilenot shown in FIG. 22, several other reference axes, including those thatare orthogonal to axis 1200, or any orientation therebetween, may beemployed to define numerous curved profiles for the player control panel1190 and gaming cabinet 1100 front surface 1120.

The curvature of the player control panel 1190, and corresponding curvedprofile of the front surface 1120 of the gaming cabinet 1100 provide anergonomic environment for a player's hand and fingers. For a given handlocation, a greater portion of the panel 1190 is located at a distanceor within a specific range of distances from the hand location, therebyminimizing finger, hand, and arm movement required for game play. Thetouch screen functionality of the player panel in lieu of mechanicalswitches further allows the player's hand and fingers to control gameplay without obstructions. Game play comfort may be further enhancedwith a graceful transition at the player interface 1210 separating thefront surface 1120 of the gaming cabinet 1100 and the bolster pad 1220,which may support the player's hand in the desired position. The bolsterpad 1220 may allow the player to rest any part of the arm or arms whileplaying the game.

Following the smooth transition of the bolster interface 1210, thebolster pad 1220 may continue the curved profile of the front surface1120 of the gaming cabinet 1100. Alternatively, the bolster pad 1220 maytransition into any other profile to accommodate player comfort. Theplayer may control and view all of the game functions from the playerpanel thereby eliminating any need for the player to raise a hand tointerface the display. This allows faster and more comfortable game playbecause there is less hand-eye movement. Reducing eye movement isparticularly important to players wearing bi-focal glasses, and theslight downward tilt of a player's head when viewing the player controlpanel 1190 relieves pressure off of the player's back. While the playermay optionally tilt their head upwards to view the display, all playercontrol and game information may occur through the player control panel1190, thus such movement is not necessary for game play or execution ofgame functions.

Driven Shield

A driven shield surrounds a perimeter 1230 of the player panel with thegaming cabinet 1100 to create a water resistant seal. In the event thatthe player is holding a beverage, or using any part of the front surface1120 or bolster pad 1220 to hold the beverage, the driven shield willprevent liquid-moisture from entering the gaming cabinet 1100 interior.FIG. 24 illustrates a cross-section view of the driven shield 1300 whichis compressed between the cabinet wall 1310 and player control panel1320 with the aid of a compression flange 1330. Fluid coming intocontact with the player control panel 1320 is prevented from enteringthe cabinet due to a seal formed by the driven shield compressed betweenthe cabinet wall 1310 and player control panel 1320.

While FIG. 24 illustrates a generally flat profile for the cabinet wall1310 and player control panel 1320, the driven shield 1300 may beemployed for cabinet walls and player panels having a curved profile. Insuch a case, the compression flange 1330 may also have a similar curvedprofile to match that of the player panel and cabinet wall.

In addition to providing a seal, the shield may also minimizenon-linearities, thereby increasing the effective surface area of atouch screen for a given cabinet opening. FIG. 25 illustrates a detailenlargement of a driven shield 1400 having three layers. Top layer 1410and bottom layer 1420 are each made of urethane, or a similar moistureimpervious and collapsible material, separated by a middle conductivematerial 1430, such as tin, copper or other conductive alloy or metal.The conductive material 1430, shown as a wire in FIG. 25, may extendthrough the driven shield 1400 and exit for electrical connection to thebottom of the player panel/touch screen. The electrical connectionallows the touch screen to drive the conductive material 1430 at thesame frequency and phase as the touch screen. Driving the conductivematerial at such a frequency and phase minimizes non-linear effects tothe touch screen created by leakage current between the metallic gamingcabinet overhang and the touch screen. Such non-linear effects mayinclude innaccurate coordinate registration after a user presses alocation near the touch screen border. This effect may result in afailed user selection, or worse, a user selection other than what wasintended by the user. For example, referring again to FIG. 6B, absentthe driven shield, the non-linearities may result in a user's touch of“See Pays” 364 actually registering in the control panel as “Cash Out”362. The non-linear effects at the edges of the touch screen effectivelydisappear when the conductive material is driven at the same frequencyand phase.

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising: a value input device; a display unit;a player control panel defining a curved surface, the curved surfacecentered around at least one axis; a touch screen, the touch screenconforming to the curved surface of the player control panel; and acontroller operatively coupled to the value input device, the displayunit, the player control panel, and the touch screen, the controllercomprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to theprocessor, the controller being programmed to receive value input datavia the value input device, the controller being programmed to cause thedisplay unit to generate a game display, the controller being programmedto select one of a plurality of player input displays, the controllerbeing programmed to receive player input data associated with theselected one of the plurality of player input displays via the touchscreen, the controller being programmed to determine a value payoutassociated with an outcome of the game.
 2. A gaming apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the curved surface is convex.
 3. A gaming apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the curved surface is concave.
 4. A gamingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the curved surface includes acircular profile.
 5. A gaming apparatus according to claim 1, whereinthe curved surface includes a parabolic profile.
 6. A gaming apparatusaccording to claim 1, further including a gaming cabinet, the gamingcabinet defined by a front surface, top surface, back surface, bottomsurface, left surface and right surface, the player control paneloperatively coupled to at least one side of the gaming cabinet.
 7. Agaming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the gaming cabinet frontsurface is curved to match the curved surface of the player controlpanel.
 8. A gaming apparatus according to claim 6, further including abolster pad.
 9. A gaming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein thebolster pad interfaces flush with the front surface, bottom surface,left surface, and right surface of the gaming cabinet.
 10. A gamingapparatus according to claim 6, including one or more indicator lightson at least one of the front surface, top surface, back surface, bottomsurface, left surface, and right surface.
 11. A gaming apparatusaccording to claim 10, wherein the one or more indicator lights is atleast one of a jackpot indicator, a service indicator, and a decorativelight.
 12. A gaming apparatus according to claim 6, including one ormore speakers on at least one of the front surface, top surface, bottomsurface, left surface, and right surface.
 13. A gaming apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the curved surface centered around the atleast one axis includes a constant radius.
 14. A gaming apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the curved surface centered around the atleast one axis includes a variable radius.
 15. A gaming apparatusaccording to claim 14, wherein the variable radius forms a parabolicsurface.
 16. A gaming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein thevariable radius forms an elliptical surface.